


Play Me a Song, You're the Piano Man

by Brachylagus_fandom



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: F/M, Historical Hetalia, Historical References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-23
Updated: 2016-06-23
Packaged: 2018-07-14 11:27:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7169180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brachylagus_fandom/pseuds/Brachylagus_fandom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On the eve of the First World War, two countries try to pretend it's not going to happen for a few hours.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Play Me a Song, You're the Piano Man

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chaoticrandomness](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaoticrandomness/gifts).



Rain poured outside Austria's house. Hungary was curled up in the window seat, watching the rain fall. Austria watched her nervously; Hungary had never been the type to just sit around and mope, but that was what she was doing today.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked, trying to sound casual as he slowly walked towards her. Hungary laughed bitterly, still staring at the rain.

"We're about to have a World War and you're asking what's _wrong_?" Her tone was cold, jaded, and almost insane; she had never been like this before. "Bismarck's an idiot, Franz is dead, and all of us are too stupid to find a way out of this mess!" She was crying now, and Austria had no clue what to do. "This isn't like Crimea, Austria, or my revolution; it's worse. People are going to die. Lots of people, far more people than ever before. We could die!"

" _Liebling_ , we're immortal. Nothing really sticks to us. We've all been here for centuries, and no one besides Holy Roman Empire and Rome has ever disappeared. We won't die," Austria soothed, hoping that Hungary would calm down. It didn't work.

"We've never gone to war on this scale before, we have no clue what will happen!" She really was crying now, all too aware of what was to come. "I just don't want to lose you…"

"You won't. I swear to you that nothing will separate us." Austria got up as Hungary watched him, eyes glazed over with tears.

"Play for me?" It was a request, and a simple one at that; they were in the music room, after all. Really, it was the least he could do.

"Play what?" He knew hundreds, if not thousands, of songs at this point on a few dozen instruments.

"Whatever you want. Anything, everything, I'm not picky." Sighing, Austria sat down at the piano, his fingers resting on the keys as he pondered what to play. Suddenly, an idea struck him. He knew that one well, Hungary loved it, and he had a decent excuse for not singing the lyrics. Slowly, he began the song that he had every right to hate and she had every right to love. Hungary lifted her head.

"Rákóczi-nóta?" She identified the tune with ease though it almost sounded like a question. "When did you learn that?"

"They played it at our wedding, my dear." Now _that_ had been an interesting day. Not one he wished to repeat, but interesting nonetheless. Hungary laughed, remembering that fiasco of a marriage ceremony.

"When they were throwing rocks at you?" He'd had a scar from that for weeks.

"Of course." What better time is there to sing a revolutionary song than when attacking the embodiment of their repressor?

"You know the lyrics are about my people hating you, right?"

"I speak Hungarian. Of course I know." It felt like hours before she spoke again.

"I love you, Piano Man."

"I know." The rain poured and the politicians argued, but they were together and had nothing to do. It would be the last time in a while, but that afternoon stretched on forever and, until they could have another, it would be enough.

**Author's Note:**

> You ask for historical drama, I deliver historical drama.
> 
> This takes place sometime in the few months between when Archduke Franz Ferdinand was shot and when World War I actually began. It's a really interesting time frame to look at since most of the military leaders in Europe knew exactly what was coming but were utterly failing at stopping it, but not something that's covered often. On Youtube, Extra Credits has an Extra History series on it, called "World War I: the Seminal Tragedy" (first episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-wSL4WqUws )
> 
> Rákóczi-nóta is the precursor to the Rákóczi March (0ne of Hungary's national anthems) and the lyrics are about the repression of Hungarians by Austria and, I think, call for a revolt. You know, fun stuff.
> 
> Hungary's going through a complete and utter breakdown because she knows that the war will happen and there's no way for her to stop it.


End file.
